Next month the Douglas County treasurer will open a branch office in Baldwin City.

The office will be open one week a month in the Baldwin City Market, 112 Eighth St. It will share the space used by Baldwin State Bank.

Douglas County commissioners Wednesday night approved a lease that calls for the county to pay $150 a month for rent of the office. Other monthly expenses were estimated at $100 per month for Internet access and $125 per month for mileage to employees. There is a one-time cost of $4,280 to equip and set up the office.

“I couldn’t possibly be more supportive of what you are doing,” Commission Chairman Bob Johnson told Treasurer Paula Gilchrist.

The office is tentatively scheduled to open for the first time the week beginning Feb. 11.

Gilchrist said she will not have to add staff to work in the Baldwin City office.

A branch treasurer’s office was in Baldwin City several years ago but was closed for financial reasons.

That office, however, was open all month and was in an office by itself.

Commissioner Jere McElhaney said he thought that at the end of the year consideration should be given to moving the Baldwin City office to the county’s ambulance station in that city. No rent would have to be paid, he said.

In other business, commissioners approved the annexation of three properties into Rural Water District No. 4 in southeast Douglas County.

Three property owners, Daniel Fuller, Kenneth Miller and William Watkins petitioned to be annexed. The properties are contiguous in the area of North 400 and East 2300 roads, or about 5 miles northeast of Baldwin City.